by | Feb 18, 2025 | Business
Stay updated on the latest cryptocurrency market trends as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major altcoins face a broad decline amid market correction, regulatory uncertainty, and macroeconomic pressures. Explore key price movements, investor sentiment, and upcoming events shaping the crypto landscape.
The cryptocurrency market is undergoing a widespread decline, with major digital assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Solana (SOL), Ethereum (ETH), and Binance Coin (BNB) experiencing losses.
Various factors contribute to this downturn, including market correction, macroeconomic pressures, leverage shakeouts, regulatory uncertainty, and weak investor sentiment.
Market Correction Following a Recent Rally
After a period of strong upward momentum, cryptocurrencies were due for a pullback. Many traders took profits at key resistance levels, triggering a temporary wave of selling pressure.
Such corrections are a common occurrence in highly volatile markets, and while they may cause short-term panic, they often provide opportunities for long-term investors.
Macroeconomic Pressures Affecting Crypto Markets
Global financial markets have been facing uncertainty due to concerns over rising interest rates, inflation, and overall economic stability.
As monetary policies tighten, risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, often face downward pressure. Investors tend to shift toward safer investments, leading to capital outflows from crypto markets.
High Leverage and Liquidations Causing Market Volatility
The crypto market’s high leverage trading environment often results in sharp price movements. A wave of liquidations can create cascading sell-offs, amplifying losses across the board.
This pattern has been observed multiple times in the crypto space, where excessive leverage leads to significant price corrections.
Regulatory Uncertainty Weighs on Sentiment
Governments and regulatory bodies in major markets such as the U.S. and Europe continue to explore stricter regulations on cryptocurrency trading, taxation, and institutional involvement.
The uncertainty surrounding potential new policies has created fear among investors, leading to risk-off sentiment and market instability.
Weak Market Sentiment and Fear Factor
The crypto market is highly susceptible to sentiment-driven movements. When leading cryptocurrencies such as BTC and ETH show losses, panic selling among retail investors often follows, exacerbating the downturn.
The Market Fear & Greed Index stood at 38 (Fear) out of 100, according to CoinMarketCap, reflecting cautious investor sentiment.
Current Crypto Market Overview
As of the latest market data, Bitcoin (BTC) remains below the $96,000 mark, while popular altcoins such as Solana (SOL), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), and Dogecoin (DOGE) are also trading in the red.
- Bitcoin (BTC): $95,714 (-0.40%)
- Ethereum (ETH): $2,695 (-2.12%)
- Dogecoin (DOGE): $0.252 (-4.08%)
-
Ripple (XRP): $2.59 (-3.32%)
5, Solana (SOL): $167.97 (-8.53%)
The global crypto market capitalization stands at $3.14 trillion, reflecting a 24-hour dip of 1.75%.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Holding Key Levels
Bitcoin has been consolidating between $94,000 and $100,000 over the past two weeks, with investor sentiment remaining indecisive. The U.S. Bitcoin Spot ETFs saw a net drain of $580.2 million last week, indicating weakening institutional demand.
However, on-chain data suggests accumulation, with an inflow/drain ratio of 30DMA replacement at 0.98, signifying that outflows slightly exceed inflows.
Ethereum is trading near the key resistance level of $2,750. Analysts predict that if ETH holds this level, it may break out toward $3,000.
Investors have also shown increased interest in Ethereum ETFs, recording net inflows of $393 million this month, compared to Bitcoin ETFs, which saw $376 million in outflows.
Argentina’s President Faces Legal Trouble Over LIBRA Token Promotion
In a significant development, Argentine President Javier Milei is facing impeachment calls and legal action over his promotion of the Solana-based LIBRA cryptocurrency.
Milei’s social media endorsement caused the token’s price to surge before plummeting within hours, leading to massive investor losses. Critics have labeled the incident a “rug pull,” and Argentina’s Anti-Corruption Office is investigating potential fraud.
The LIBRA debacle has further tarnished Solana’s memecoin ecosystem. The token suffered a 90% drop from its peak market capitalization of $4.5 billion.
Despite Milei’s claims of non-involvement, blockchain analysis links LIBRA’s creators to previous failed crypto projects, intensifying scrutiny.
South Korea Suspends DeepSeek App Amid Privacy Concerns
Regulatory scrutiny isn’t limited to cryptocurrencies. South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has suspended downloads of the Chinese-developed DeepSeek app due to concerns over its data handling practices.
The app’s ChatGPT-like chatbot, launched on January 27, raised privacy red flags, prompting regulators to conduct on-site inspections to ensure compliance with domestic laws.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for the Crypto Market?
Despite the current downturn, the crypto market remains highly volatile, and rebounds can occur swiftly.
Analysts are closely monitoring key support levels, particularly for Bitcoin at $95,600 and $99,900. If BTC holds these levels, a potential rally toward the psychological $100,000 mark could be expected.
Meanwhile, Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, set for April 8, could boost ETH’s value, making it a key asset to watch in the coming months.
In the short term, cautious trading and regulatory developments will likely shape market movements. Long-term investors may see the current dip as an opportunity to accumulate assets, while traders should remain vigilant about market fluctuations.
As uncertainty persists, the cryptocurrency industry continues to evolve, with regulatory policies, macroeconomic trends, and technological upgrades playing critical roles in shaping its future trajectory.
by | Feb 18, 2025 | Business
As Malaysia rises as a premier data center hub, Custommedia Academy has been appointed the exclusive local partner for Uptime Institute’s globally recognized Uptime Education training programs. This collaboration will equip 400 professionals by 2025 with the expertise to design, operate, and manage cutting-edge digital infrastructure—ensuring Malaysia’s workforce is ready to meet the demands of billion-dollar tech investments from giants like Google, Microsoft, and AWS.
NEW YORK, NY – February 12, 2025 – Uptime Institute today announced an
agreement with Custommedia Sdn Bhd as the exclusive local partner in
Malaysia to offer its Uptime Education courses through the Custommedia Academy.
This partnership combines Custommedia Academy’s local expertise with Uptime
Institute’s globally recognized training programs and standards for digital
infrastructure performance. The collaboration aims to enhance the knowledge and
skills of data center professionals in Malaysia, providing them with essential
tools to efficiently design and operate data centers. Key benefits of these
training programs include improved operational efficiency, risk minimization,
and alignment with industry best practices.
“Malaysia is fast emerging as a premier data center
hub in Southeast Asia, fuelled by strategic initiatives and transformative
investments that are reshaping the nation’s digital landscape. This is part of
a broader digital economy strategy to boost the sector’s GDP contribution to
25.5% by 2025,” said Aidinorazri, Chief Marketing Officer, Custommedia. “Our
partnership with Uptime Institute will enable Custommedia Academy to contribute towards achieving Malaysia’s national
digital aspirations by ensuring the workforce is well-prepared to design,
build, operate and manage increasingly complex
digital infrastructures. To help achieve this, we intend to train 400 data
center professionals by the end of 2025,” he added.
Aidinorazri continued that among the standout projects
being undertaken in Malaysia currently include the Bandar Teknologi Maju Perlis
in Padang Besar—a massive 600-acre development featuring cutting-edge AI-driven
data centers and high-performance computing supported by sustainable energy
infrastructure. In parallel, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)
showcases the region’s vast potential, positioning Malaysia as a critical
economic and digital innovation hub.
“These developments, alongside major investments from
global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, AWS, Nvidia, and NTT Data, inject
billions into Malaysia’s digital economy, driving an ever-growing demand for
skilled data center professionals.”
“Addressing the talent shortage is crucial to sustaining
growth and ensuring Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global digital
economy,” said Patrick Chan, Vice President for South Asia at Uptime
Institute. “As Malaysia positions itself as an important and strategic
destination for international investment in digital infrastructure, our Uptime
Education training unit is poised to work with Custommedia Academy to train and
develop the skilled workforce of today and tomorrow. Custommedia Academy’s
proven expertise in training ISTQB, IREB, and ASAQB certified professionals,
along with its alignment with Malaysia’s digital economy initiatives, makes it
an ideal partner for this collaboration. Together, we aim to bridge the gap
between global standards and local industry needs, ensuring Malaysia’s
workforce is equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital
infrastructure landscape.”
The training
begins with Uptime Education’s Data Center Fundamentals course, an entry level course
designed to provide a structured overview of the data center environments, what
data centers are, what they do and why we need them. The course provides an
overview of basic design and design philosophies and the essential factors of
data center management including operational processes, energy management and
facility management. Additional courses will also be available including Certified
Data Center Technician Professional (CDCTP®); Accredited Sustainability
Advisor (ASA); Accredited Tier Designer (ATS);
Accredited
Operations Specialist (AOS); Accredited Tier Specialist (ATS);
and
Certified Data Center Management Professional® (CDCMP®).
Course
information and schedules can be found on the Custommedia
Academy website .
by | Feb 18, 2025 | Business
Tokyo – Japan, January 20, 2025 – Vector Inc.
(Headquarters: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Keiji Nishie; TYO: 6058) has been actively supporting startup growth through
investments and PR/IR assistance. To date, Vector Inc. has invested in
approximately 250 domestic companies and has backed 32 companies achieve IPOs
and sustatin post-listing growth.
As part of it’s pioneering expansion into
overseas investments, Vector Inc. has decided to invest in bythen, an Indonesian-based AI startup, and
enter into a capital and business alliance.
The Global IP market has been experiencing
rapid growth, reaching approximately USD 315.5 billion in 2021-threee times its
size a decade ago. Additionally, the rise of social media has fuled the
expansion of the “creator economy,” where individuals can develop and
montize their own original IP.
bythen empowers users to creative AI-powered
digital twins, produce engaging content, and live stream, unlocking new
opportunites to elevate their online presence and monetize influence. The
platform democratizes access to virtual influencers, leveraging AI-driven content
generation to enbale 24/7 automated engagement across social media platforms. bythen
is poised to disrupt the $325 billion creator economy and empower over 200
million global content creators.
Kevin Mintaraga, the founder of bythen, is a
globally recognized serial entrepreneur. He previously built Magnivate, which
was acquired by WPP in 2012, and Bridestory, which was acquired by Tokopedia in
2019.
Looking ahead, the Vector Inc. will continue
to expand its focus beyond domestic companies to include overseas companies, driving
business and economic growth by investing in companies with cutting-edge
technologies and world-leading services.
Profile of Kevin Mintaraga, CEO of bythen
・Co-founded Magnivate, a digital agency
(now Mirum Agency), in 2008.
・Sold Magnivate to WPP, the world’s
largest advertising and marketing company, in
2012 and served as the youngest subsidiary CEO in WPP’s history until
2013.
・Founded Bridestory in 2013, which grew
into Indonesia’s largest wedding
marketplace and was acquired by Tokopedia in 2019.
・Served as CMO of Tokopedia (now part of
the GoTo Group) from 2019.
・Featured on Campaign Asia’s Power List
for four consecutive years.
Comment from Kevin Mintaraga
“Japan is a global leader in the virtual influencer industry and a
powerhouse of IP content. Receiving investment from Vector, Asia’s largest PR
company with a vast domestic and international network, is a great honor.
Vector’s strong reputation and customer network in Japan and the broader
Asian region will play a pivotale role in helping bythen promote its avatar
collections and solutions. Furthermore, this partnership opens the possibility
for collaborations between bythen and Japan’s iconic IPs.
Until now, the rights to virtual influencer IPs were typically owned by
companies, limiting individuals’ freedom to customize and adapt them. bythen aims
to democratize virtual influencer IPs globally by providing users with tools and
solutions to build and grow their digital presence.”
Profile of Ryo Umezawa, Vice President of New
Business Development and Global M&A, Vector Inc.
・Spent ten years in the Philippines before graduating from Sophia
University with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Business
and Economics, in 2007.
・Interned at J-Seed during university, contributing
to business launches
and marketing activities from 2005.
・Worked at Traffic Gate (now LinkShare
Japan) from 2008, building smartphone ad network businesses and developing voice
recognition search app
・Co-founded two startups, a mobile
marketing company and a coupon aggregation business
・Served as the CEO of HAILO Japan, a
taxi-hailing app, and held executive roles
at HomeAway Japan, Tinder Japan, and investment funds East Ventures and
Antler.
・Appointed as Vice President of New
Business Development and Global M&A at Vector Inc. in 2024.
Comment from Ryo Umezawa
“It is a great honor to support an entrepreneur embarking on his
third venture with a vision of democratizing AI virtual characters and pursuing
global expansion. This initiative will showcase Japan’s content and culture
globally, unlock creators’ full potential, and contribute to the growth of the
sharing economy.”
by | Feb 18, 2025 | Business
Tokyo – Japan, January 20, 2025 – Vector Inc.
(Headquarters: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Keiji Nishie; TYO: 6058) has
been actively supporting startup growth through investments and PR/IR
assistance. To date, Vector Inc. has invested in approximately 250 domestic
companies and has backed 32 companies achieve IPOs and sustatin post-listing growth.
As part of it’s pioneering expansion into
overseas investments, Vector Inc. has decided to invest in bythen, an Indonesian-based AI startup, and
enter into a capital and business alliance.
The Global IP market has been experiencing
rapid growth, reaching approximately USD 315.5 billion in 2021-threee times its
size a decade ago. Additionally, the rise of social media has fuled the
expansion of the “creator economy,” where individuals can develop and
montize their own original IP.
bythen empowers users to creative AI-powered
digital twins, produce engaging content, and live stream, unlocking new
opportunites to elevate their online presence and monetize influence. The
platform democratizes access to virtual influencers, leveraging AI-driven content
generation to enbale 24/7 automated engagement across social media platforms. bythen
is poised to disrupt the $325 billion creator economy and empower over 200
million global content creators.
Kevin Mintaraga, the founder of bythen, is a
globally recognized serial entrepreneur. He previously built Magnivate, which
was acquired by WPP in 2012, and Bridestory, which was acquired by Tokopedia in
2019.
Looking ahead, the Vector Inc. will continue
to expand its focus beyond domestic companies to include overseas companies, driving
business and economic growth by investing in companies with cutting-edge
technologies and world-leading services.
Profile of Kevin Mintaraga, CEO of bythen
・Co-founded Magnivate, a digital agency (now Mirum
Agency), in 2008.
・Sold Magnivate to WPP, the world’s largest advertising
and marketing company, in 2012 and
served as the youngest subsidiary CEO in WPP’s history until 2013.
・Founded Bridestory in 2013, which grew into
Indonesia’s largest wedding
marketplace
and was acquired by Tokopedia in 2019.
・Served as CMO of Tokopedia (now part of the GoTo
Group) from 2019.
・Featured on Campaign Asia’s Power List for four consecutive
years.
Comment from Kevin Mintaraga
“Japan is
a global leader in the virtual influencer industry and a powerhouse of IP
content. Receiving investment from Vector, Asia’s largest PR company with a vast
domestic and international network, is a great honor.
Vector’s
strong reputation and customer network in Japan and the broader Asian region
will play a pivotale role in helping bythen promote its avatar collections and
solutions. Furthermore, this partnership opens the possibility for
collaborations between bythen and Japan’s iconic IPs.
Until now, the
rights to virtual influencer IPs were typically owned by companies, limiting
individuals’ freedom to customize and adapt them. bythen aims to democratize
virtual influencer IPs globally by providing users with tools and solutions to
build and grow their digital presence.”
Profile of Ryo Umezawa, Vice President of New
Business Development and Global M&A, Vector Inc.
・Spent ten years
in the Philippines before graduating from Sophia
University
with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Business and Economics, in
2007.
・Interned at J-Seed during university, contributing to
business launches
and marketing activities
from 2005.
・Worked at Traffic Gate (now LinkShare Japan) from
2008, building smartphone ad network businesses and developing voice
recognition search app
・Co-founded two startups, a mobile marketing company
and a coupon aggregation business
・Served as the CEO of HAILO Japan, a taxi-hailing app,
and held executive roles
at HomeAway
Japan, Tinder Japan, and investment funds East Ventures and Antler.
・Appointed as Vice President of New Business
Development and Global M&A at Vector Inc. in 2024.
Comment from Ryo Umezawa
“It is a
great honor to support an entrepreneur embarking on his third venture with a
vision of democratizing AI virtual characters and pursuing global expansion.
This initiative will showcase Japan’s content and culture globally, unlock
creators’ full potential, and contribute to the growth of the sharing
economy.”
by | Feb 18, 2025 | Business
Tokyo – Japan, January 20, 2025 – Vector Inc.
(Headquarters: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Keiji Nishie; TYO: 6058) has been actively supporting startup growth through
investments and PR/IR assistance. To date, Vector Inc. has invested in
approximately 250 domestic companies and has backed 32 companies achieve IPOs
and sustatin post-listing growth.
As part of it’s pioneering expansion into
overseas investments, Vector Inc. has decided to invest in bythen, an Indonesian-based AI startup, and
enter into a capital and business alliance.
The Global IP market has been experiencing
rapid growth, reaching approximately USD 315.5 billion in 2021-threee times its
size a decade ago. Additionally, the rise of social media has fuled the
expansion of the “creator economy,” where individuals can develop and
montize their own original IP.
bythen empowers users to creative AI-powered
digital twins, produce engaging content, and live stream, unlocking new
opportunites to elevate their online presence and monetize influence. The
platform democratizes access to virtual influencers, leveraging AI-driven content
generation to enbale 24/7 automated engagement across social media platforms. bythen
is poised to disrupt the $325 billion creator economy and empower over 200
million global content creators.
Kevin Mintaraga, the founder of bythen, is a
globally recognized serial entrepreneur. He previously built Magnivate, which
was acquired by WPP in 2012, and Bridestory, which was acquired by Tokopedia in
2019.
Looking ahead, the Vector Inc. will continue
to expand its focus beyond domestic companies to include overseas companies, driving
business and economic growth by investing in companies with cutting-edge
technologies and world-leading services.
Profile of Kevin Mintaraga, CEO of bythen
・Co-founded Magnivate, a digital agency
(now Mirum Agency), in 2008.
・Sold Magnivate to WPP, the world’s
largest advertising and marketing company, in
2012 and served as the youngest subsidiary CEO in WPP’s history until
2013.
・Founded Bridestory in 2013, which grew
into Indonesia’s largest wedding
marketplace and was acquired by Tokopedia in 2019.
・Served as CMO of Tokopedia (now part of
the GoTo Group) from 2019.
・Featured on Campaign Asia’s Power List
for four consecutive years.
Comment from Kevin Mintaraga
“Japan is a global leader in the virtual influencer industry and a
powerhouse of IP content. Receiving investment from Vector, Asia’s largest PR
company with a vast domestic and international network, is a great honor.
Vector’s strong reputation and customer network in Japan and the broader
Asian region will play a pivotale role in helping bythen promote its avatar
collections and solutions. Furthermore, this partnership opens the possibility
for collaborations between bythen and Japan’s iconic IPs.
Until now, the rights to virtual influencer IPs were typically owned by
companies, limiting individuals’ freedom to customize and adapt them. bythen aims
to democratize virtual influencer IPs globally by providing users with tools and
solutions to build and grow their digital presence.”
Profile of Ryo Umezawa, Vice President of New
Business Development and Global M&A, Vector Inc.
・Spent ten years in the Philippines before graduating from Sophia
University with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Business
and Economics, in 2007.
・Interned at J-Seed during university, contributing
to business launches
and marketing activities from 2005.
・Worked at Traffic Gate (now LinkShare
Japan) from 2008, building smartphone ad network businesses and developing voice
recognition search app
・Co-founded two startups, a mobile
marketing company and a coupon aggregation business
・Served as the CEO of HAILO Japan, a
taxi-hailing app, and held executive roles
at HomeAway Japan, Tinder Japan, and investment funds East Ventures and
Antler.
・Appointed as Vice President of New
Business Development and Global M&A at Vector Inc. in 2024.
Comment from Ryo Umezawa
“It is a great honor to support an entrepreneur embarking on his
third venture with a vision of democratizing AI virtual characters and pursuing
global expansion. This initiative will showcase Japan’s content and culture
globally, unlock creators’ full potential, and contribute to the growth of the
sharing economy.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.